Posts by Adam Moore3

casualraven10 said:I don't need anything fancy, just something to run games like World of Tanks and do some web surfing. My old PC died and I really don't want to drop over $3,200 on a new one, so I went to the local shop where I get my best deals. I asked them for a quote on a specific setup, and they put it up for sale a week later. There's also one with an i3, so I'm wondering which of these two I should pick and why the prices are basically the same?

No, no, no, absolutely not. Avoid those pre-built configurations at all costs. That one has a terrible, cheap Linkworld power supply and a garbage motherboard that you shouldn't even try to upgrade with a better processor later...
Since you mentioned you aren't looking for anything heavy-duty—just light gaming like World of Tanks, which actually runs much smoother on Intel than on AMD—I’d suggest going with something like this instead:

1 x Intel Core i3-4150 Processor (3.50GHz, 512KB, 3MB, 54 W, 1150) Box
1 x Asrock H81M-DGS - Intel H81, M-ATX, Dual Channel 2xDDR3 - 1600
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x FORTRON HEX Plus 400W Power Supply, 12cm fan
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x MSI R7 250X 1GB GDDR5, 128bit, DVI + HDMI + Display Port

$1066 admin

I saw the one you were looking at on MagazinRS with the i3, but that one also uses a low-end no-name power supply. This build here features a Fortron Hex, which is a solid, reliable power supply and a great value for builds like this. You don't even need an optical drive; it's not that important anymore. Just install Windows via USB and you won't need a disc drive ever again. Otherwise, you could also look into this option:

1 x ASUS H81M-K, 1150, Intel H81 Express Chipset, DDR3
1 x Intel Pentium G3258 Processor (3.20GHz, 512KB, 3MB, 54 W, 1150) Box
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x ZALMAN CNPS 5X Performa, socket 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3
1 x FORTRON HEX Plus 400W Power Supply, 12cm fan
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x Sapphire R7 260X 1GB GDDR5 OC, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm

$1055 admin

In this version, you have a standard dual-core Pentium that can be overclocked like a beast; you can easily bump it up to i3 levels. Just keep in mind it's a true dual-core without hyperthreading, so it might struggle with games designed strictly for quad-cores. Currently, that would only be something like Dragon Age Inquisition or maybe a few other next-gen titles, but since you didn't mention being interested in those, this option might actually be better for you, mainly because of the significantly better graphics card. World of Tanks would likely run even better on this second option.

casualraven10 said:Intel Core i3-4150 3.5Ghz, 64bit or AMD FX-4130 4 x3.8GHz, AM3, 64bit???
Can anyone help me out?
The price is identical, which seems weird since the first one only has two cores and lower Ghz.🐔

The i3 is a dual core with hyperthreading, while the FX is a true quad core. The real question is, what are you planning to do with this PC?

EDIT: Whoa, hold on, I just re-read what you wrote. 😲 Where are you getting the idea that the FX-4130 and the i3-4150 cost the same? And where did you even find an FX-4130? You can actually find a six-core FX 6300 for cheaper than the 4150.

This is the 15th thread you've started for this exact same setup, so just ask everything at once. 🙄

My ASUS GTX 970 can't even handle 1080p on Ultra settings. Ubisoft really pushed things way too far this time; when someone running an R9 280 X can't even get the game to run properly on medium, you know something is seriously wrong. 😲

Simply 😬

Yeah, I've read on several sites that this was actually done because of how the card's architecture is built. To prevent massive slowdowns caused by specific hardware design issues, they split the VRAM into two sections: one 3.5 GB chunk that the GPU can access at full speed without any trouble, and a second 500 MB portion that sees a huge drop in speed whenever it's tapped into. Honestly, games requiring more than 3.5 GB of VRAM are pretty rare, at least at standard resolutions. It’s still a great card, though. Unless you're incredibly impatient, you won't regret picking it up—but you also won't lose anything by waiting for the new AMD series. You can find a deep dive into this issue OVDJE

Yeah, solid power supply. It’s definitely one of their stronger lines. You can probably pull $8002300 for it. If you're listing it on eBay, I'd set the price at $2500; you might even get it for that much. 🙂

Arthur Cruz63 said:Please rate this build:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 965 BE (4 x 3.4 GHz)
Cooler: Scythe Yasya
Motherboard: ASUS Prime Motherboard (Integrated NVIDIA GeForce GT 210)
RAM: 4 GB (G.Skill)
HDD: 1 TB (Western Digital, 7200 RPM) + 640 GB (WD Caviar Blue)
PSU: Corsair 650 W
Case: Thermaltake Soprano RS101
Monitor: Dell 22" 2253BW (1680 x 1050)

I'd say roughly $733. Which specific Corsair power supply is it?

So, what’s it showing you? It’ll probably just throw up a message saying the CMOS was reset and tell you to press any key to continue, or something like that...

Even with a fresh Hard Disk Drive and Windows? That’s weird. Try resetting the CMOS. Basically, just pull that tiny battery out of the motherboard for about 30 to 60 seconds, pop it back in, and give it another shot.

Timothy Kim60 said:They've been on both for 5 years.

My math. 60 months = 60 months / 20 = 3 years.😬

Hmph, Fortron holds a silver certification while XFX is rated bronze, but XFX actually packs more punch (45A vs 42A). They’re both pretty close, and since they both offer a 3-year warranty, it's a toss-up. I might give a slight edge to XFX, though... I just like the look of 😬
better.

gentlesailor43 said:My old AMD setup was an RX 580 + Ryzen 5 3600.👍 I don't need to jump straight to 8GB of RAM either; I can sort that out next month, which leaves me about $30 extra in breathing room. 😁

But wait, doesn't the RX 580 require a 600W PSU?

And what about the combo with the Ryzen 7 3700X and an EVGA GeForce GTX 1060, 2 GB GDDR5?

Ignore whatever the manufacturer websites claim. Power supply discussions are their own beast, and this has been repeated on this forum so many times I feel like a parrot. 🙂 Basically, you have absolutely nothing to worry about regarding the PSU; Hyper handles it just fine. And yeah, regarding RAM, 8GB is pretty much mandatory for gaming these days, but it's an easy upgrade later. There's no point skimping on your CPU or GPU just to save for extra RAM you can easily grab next month, just like you mentioned. That second combo is also decent—you get a stronger processor upfront, though it wouldn't be my first pick. Honestly, the Ryzen 5 3600 + RX 580 will run 90% of games better because even the 3600 is plenty strong enough to pull any title, and the 580 is noticeably more powerful than the 1060, so you'd have the edge there. Personally, I'd be looking at either the 3600+580 or the i5-12400+1060. 🙂

gentlesailor43 said:I don't know, man... it's just different when you're arguing face-to-face instead of over email or mobile...😁

It's all about the cash.☕ How much better?😁

So, let's just say that after a long hiatus—my 9600GT is basically ready for retirement at this point—I’m looking to finally dive into some newer titles. I also don't want to spend all my time stressing over whether I'll still be able to run stuff on medium settings two years down the road...😬

Feel free to throw out some suggestions. Throw some AMD options my way too. Personally, I’m leaning towards Intel and Nvidia—that combo has never let me down before. Old habits die hard, I guess...

It's a massive upgrade; you can see that just by looking at the GPU performance. That 750Ti is pretty weak compared to an RX 580 when paired with Intel, and it's even worse if you go the AMD route with an RX 580 + Ryzen 5 3600 combo. In that setup, you're getting a much more powerful card, but the processor is significantly weaker. Personally, I’d lean toward the Intel + RX 580 option—it feels better balanced, and you can always drop in a beast of a GPU later on if you want. Either way, you can't really lose here, and you'll come out way ahead compared to buying from Newegg. 🙂

gentlesailor43 said:It isn't an issue with the online store; those are just the prices from the HGspot web shop (in-store prices are actually higher 😉). It's all about the service, and having a local branch nearby helps me out.

Regarding the power supply, feel free to make some suggestions—I've listed the specs above.

Look, you can easily handle repairs via mail too. For example, here is what you could get from a major retailer like Micro Center for around $500:

1 x Asrock B85M-HDS - Intel 1150 Socket B85 chipset M-ATX MB
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 Processor (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x MS PHOENIX case without power supply, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x Sapphire R9 270 2GB, OC Boost, 2GB GDDR5 256bit
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan

$1627

Go with a much stronger GPU, a high-quality power supply, and everything else is pretty much the same. If any issues pop up, you can just ship it back via USPS and everything will get sorted out. If you're really set on using HGspot 😬 just swap in THIS power supply instead of the one you picked and you're good to go.🙂

gentlesailor43 said:Hey everyone, I'm planning on picking up a new PC. My budget is $1667 (not a penny more than that).😁

Since there aren't many local IT shops around here in ST, my options are pretty much limited to Links and HGspot.
So, here is what I've put together using HGspot.

-Processor Intel Core i5-4590, Haswell, 3300 MHz, LGA 1150

$566

-Graphics Card GIGABYTE Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti OC, 2 GB DDR5, GV-N75TOC-2GI

$433

-Motherboard Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H, LGA 1150

$181

-Hard Drive 1 TB, WESTERN DIGITAL Caviar Blue WD10EZEX, 3.5" , 7200 rpm, SATA III

$168

-Memory KINGSTON 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3, 1600 MHz HyperX Fury, DIMM

$224

-Power Supply AQPROX APP500PS, 500W

$50

All told, everything comes to $1623.

Thoughts? Recommendations?...🤔

An $50 power supply in a build costing $1667? Seriously? As far as parts go, you could just as easily order from Amazon or some other online retailer; they'll ship it for free and have it ready to go, so there's really no need to bother with HGspot or godforsaken Links...

I’d personally go with the Samsung, it’s got better speed and you can't beat having three years of warranty protection. 🙂

Thomas Wood21 said:I'm planning on doing this soon... 🙂 I'm looking for an SSD... any recommendations? 🎉

It depends on whether you go with the Intel 520, the Kingston HyperX, or the Samsung 840 evo. As for the GPU, looking at the graph, an R9 270 would fit nicely... though it really all comes down to your budget.

Thomas Wood21 said:I'd recommend a power supply under $167 if you want something quiet and reliable. Here's the setup:

CPU: Phenom ii x4 965 box Black edition, 3.4GHz
MBO: ASrock 970 Extreme
RAM: Corsair DDR3 1600MHz 4GB
HDD: 2TB WD Caviar Green SATA III
VGA: Radeon 3870

For the love of God, please just put in a better graphics card... 🙂

Thomas Flores74 said:I just play various games here and there! Mostly platformers and 3rd person adventures. My old card used to run Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed 3, Resident Evil 6, and Sleeping Dogs on medium without any issues! I'm using a CRT monitor at 1024x768 resolution.
It doesn't have to be maxed out 😁 I'm not really that kind of gamer!
And it definitely needs to be GDDR5; there's zero point in looking at anything less than that nowadays. Since I'm buying something new anyway, I figured I'd grab something a bit better because cards similar to my old one are already going for $83.
The MSI 250 x is more expensive $33, even at AMD! But it actually offers better performance. 🤔 I still need to think about it, though. It's a little over my budget!

Oof, if you're playing at 1024x768, then even the 250X is going to be overkill for you 😬 Honestly, I think you'll be able to run most things on high settings at that resolution. But it's definitely worth spending that extra hundred bucks; you'll really notice the jump from the 250 to the 250X 🙂